Gelendzhik’s embankment is the calling card and the real pride of the famous resort. It stretches along the Gelendzhik Bay and has the shape of a horseshoe. The territory is well-groomed, incredibly picturesque and comfortable. The waterfront attracts tourists with a rich history, a large number of attractions, recreational and entertainment places.
At its two ends, the horseshoe-shaped promenade is bounded by two headlands. One of them is the Thin Cape, which is located on the northern side. The second is the Thick Cape, which is located on the south side. The distance between these points is 1 nautical mile or 1852 meters.
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Gelendzhik seafront is divided into three main areas:
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The Southern is an incredibly atmospheric interval from Tolstoy Cape to the Behemoth Water Park, located at 159 Lunacharskogo Street. This is the youngest area, which is still under development. Walking along the southern part of the embankment, tourists praise the convenient descents to the sea, colorful pizundskie pines, mind-blowing seascapes;
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Northern – a section from Sadovaya Street to Tonky Cape. In this place travelers can enjoy a quiet and measured rest: cozy up on the terrace, look at the mountains and sea surface, go down to the water;
Central is the area between the southern and northern districts. It stretches between Lunacharskogo and Sadovaya streets. The Central district is incredibly popular. It is here that tourists will find the largest number of restaurants and cafes, as well as souvenir shops and fountains.”
‘ Southern part of the embankment‘ The sculpture ‘Mayachnik with a doggie’
Truth or myth?
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According to most of the sources on the expanse of the Internet, the Gelendzhik seafront is a site that has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest sea promenade in the world. Some confidently write about the length reaching 14 kilometers, others, crossing their fingers, rounded up to 15 km.
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We are for the truth! And therefore with confidence (having checked with Yandex.maps, calculations of volunteer tourists and local guides) assure: the length of the Gelendzhik embankment does not reach and up to 12 km, which makes it the longest in Russia. But not in the world and not even in Europe..
The length of the pedestrian zone is 9200 meters. Over time, this figure is promised to increase.
History of Gelendzhik’s seafront
Resort transformation of the coast of the non-freezing bay on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea began in the first years of the XX century. However, the history of settlement of these places goes back to the depths of centuries, telling about the harsh Ottoman conquerors, Byzantine and Greek colonizers, prehistoric inhabitants.
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Ancient Times
Dolmens, structures made of prehistoric stones, are vivid evidence of the settlement of territories in the III millennium B.C. Another proof – found in the area of the Thin Cape parts of the ancient civilization. In the eyes of scientists-archaeologists, who conducted excavations in 1971-1974, appeared round wells, ancient city streets, metal tools and much more.
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From the sixth century BC to the mid-fifth century BC, the Thin Cape served as the site of Toric, a Greek colony. The inhabitants who inhabited the land practiced fishing, agriculture, pottery making, metalworking, leather goods, livestock and bread trading.
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The colony disappeared as a result of an attack by barbarians who set a grand fire.
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In the 1st century BC, the former Greek colony became part of the Roman Empire. It was then that the harbor of Pagra appeared, which existed until the 5th century.
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VI-XIV centuries
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In the VI century, the lands on the shore of the Gelendzhik Bay passed into the possession of Byzantium, after which a new harbor was created, which was named Eptala. In the XI century it became part of Kievan Rus, but after some time it returned to its former masters.
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In the XIII century, Genoese colonies were formed here, and the port of Mavrolako appeared in the Gelendzhik Bay. There was a commodity exchange and active trade with the Zikhs – ancestors of Circassians and Adygs.
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The end of XV – the beginning of XIX centuries
.‘ Gelendzhik embankment at sunset
After the Revolution
At this time, Gelendzhik acquired the status of a resort of national importance. The number of health centers increased dramatically. On the threshold of the war, the coast of the Gelendzhik Bay could boast:
7 pioneer camps;
14 sanatoriums;
16 vacation homes.
For the time of the Great Patriotic War the city had to leave resort activities. And therefore all sanatoriums turned into hospitals.
After the victory, the resort infrastructure had to be restored, because during the war the city was subjected to severe bombing. The maximum destructive blow received the area of Cape Thin.
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Sights
Gelendzhik’s seafront is a place that has collected a huge number of monuments of culture and art. Let’s consider some of them.
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Museum of Regional Studies
‘ Church of the Ascension of the Lord‘
Sculptural compositions
On the seafront of Gelendzhik a variety of sculptures await tourists almost at every step:
“White Bride” – a symbol of the resort and a reminder of the slave trade during the Ottoman rule of the area. The image is represented as a girl in a smart white dress with a bouquet of flowers in her hand;
monument to Pushkin – a monument of dark gray color in the shade of an ancient poplar tree. Installed in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the poet;
“Assol and Scarlet Sails” – a sculpture of a fragile girl waving her hand to the ship from her dream;
“Lighthouse Keeper with a Dog” – the image of a good-natured bearded sailor with a lantern, a telescope and a loyal pet;
“Cat Scientist” – a cheerful character in glasses, who holds a book of fairy tales in his paws;
Monument to Lermontov – a monument to the poet in full height, who crossed his arms on his chest and pensively looks into the sea distance;
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“Goldfish” – a character from Pushkin’s famous fairy tale, supporting the marine theme;
“Tourist” – a sculpture of a young man, who with interest examines the local beauty and is preparing to take a photo as a souvenir..‘ Assol and Scarlet Sails‘ Cat scientist‘ Monument to Pushkin‘ Monument to Lermontov
Wax Museum
The exposition on the Gelendzhik embankment includes puppet copies of famous personalities:
the villain Fantomas;
Harry Potter;
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Shrek;
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Cleopatra;
Cleopatra.
Vladimir Vysotsky.
The museum also provides an opportunity to dress up as your favorite hero and take pictures.
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“White Horse”
One of the most interesting sights of Gelendzhik is a gallery of modern art, opened in 2006. The creator of “White Horse”, artist and writer N. Nikiforova, was inspired by the problem of ecology, and therefore began to make her unusual and colorful works – cute hedgehogs, birds, fish, plants – mostly out of garbage.
.‘ White Horse Gallery of Contemporary Art‘ ‘
Lighthouse
‘ Tourist Police‘ Street Hoodlzhnik
From the Gelendzhik embankment you can go on a sea walk. In this tourists will help various types of water transport: boat, yacht, motor ship.
Traditional beach vacation too no one will not cancel. For the most part, the beaches along the embankment are sandy, but there are also pebble beaches. They are equipped with changing rooms, deck chairs and water fountains. From the available entertainment: kitesurfing, “tablet”, “banana”, water skiing, descent inside a transparent balloon, parachute flight.
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Cafes and restaurants
Gelendzhik’s seafront accommodates a large number of cafes, restaurants and bars for every taste and purse, so tourists do not have a problem where to have a tasty and hearty snack.
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On the beach Salamandra, at the address: Lermontovsky Boulevard, 1, there is a popular inexpensive cafe Sea You. Tiger shrimp, nuggets, fries, quesadillas, chicken rolls, grilled dishes accompanied by aperol or mojitos are in demand here.
.‘ View of the beach‘ Cafe Sea You
Quite nearby, 11 Lermontovsky Boulevard, Lermontovsky Boulevard, is another iconic place of Gelendzhik waterfront – “Cheese Factory”. The menu offers a variety of dishes with the addition of cheese of own preparation, there is a possibility of delivery.
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We advise you to try an unusual pizza with Black Sea rapans. And ricotta cheesecakes with berry jam will help to start the day in a great mood.
.‘ Armenia is offered by Lavash restaurant. Saj, khorovatz, tolma and khinkali are accompanied by salads of fresh herbs. For dessert – gata, baklava and delicious homemade pies. Not a single guest leaves this place hungry, and the institution is invariably rated 5 stars. Lavash should be found on Revolutnaya Street, 47.
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On Lenina Street, 5, look for DzhelaTiAmo – a real piece of Italy in Gelendzhik! Visitors to the cafe note the delicious ice cream, airy croissants and flavorful coffee.
Where to stay
Tourists are offered a wide choice of hotels near the seafront. A good reputation is enjoyed by the 5-star grand hotel “Primorye”. It is located just 80 meters from the Black Sea. Inside there is a spa center with an indoor pool, hammam and infrared and Finnish saunas. A daily stay will cost about 14,000 p. Another luxury hotel with all amenities is “Gelendzhik-Park”. From it to the seafront is only 282 meters. You can rent a room here for at least 9000 p.
.‘ Tar-tar of tuna and mango with cashew sauce at Taste of Life Restaurant‘ Primorye Hotel
Of inexpensive options with a good location close to the seafront can be noted hotel “USSR” (from 1275 p.), hotel “Alexandria” (from 2200 p.), hotel “Cruise” (from 1500 p.).
. In the middle price segment you can consider Sea Breeze & Spa apartments and modern hotel “Atmosphere”. Prices for accommodation in both cases will be about 5000 rubles per day.
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How to get there
To get to a certain place on the promenade of Gelendzhik, it is not necessary to pass it on foot. You can use public transportation. Depending on the part of the embankment of Gelendzhik, choose a suitable bus or shuttle route.
In the Northern district along Lunacharskogo and Tourist streets there are buses № 10, 646, 7, 12B, 103, 5, 3, 17, 12, marshrutka № 24, 21, 40, 14, 18, 8, 3M, 3dkts, 29, 22, 16, 15. Stops: “Sosnovaya Roscha”, “Privetlivy Bereg”, “Tourist Street”, “Palace of Culture”, “City Hospital”, “Aquapark Behemoth.”
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Public transport of the Central district of Gelendzhik’s waterfront bypasses Kirov and Ostrovsky streets. Here run buses № 12B, 109, 7, 10, 2, 5, 3, 17, 6A, 6, 11, 12, 105, 6A, 4; minibuses № 24, 15, 8, 3M, 22, 48, 40, 3dkts, 30, 14, 29, 21, 18, 16. The following stops will be suitable: “Amusement Park”, “Market” “Platanova Alley”, “Gelendzhik Bay.”
. There are 2 routes in the Southern district: along Krasnogvardeyskaya and Revolutsionnaya streets. Look for bus number 5 or route cab number 22. Stops: “Yuzhmorgeologiya”, “Polyarnaya Zvezda”, “Krymskaya St.” .
